


Keep Moving Forward

by aryaofoldstones



Category: A Song of Ice and Fire & Related Fandoms
Genre: Amusement Parks, F/M, Halloween, Haunted Houses
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-31
Updated: 2018-10-31
Packaged: 2019-08-11 08:11:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,239
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16471943
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/aryaofoldstones/pseuds/aryaofoldstones
Summary: “I’m not going to punch a fourteen year old dressed up as a zombie.”“You’ve punched me when I’ve startled you!” Jon said indignantly.“That’s because you’re stupid, stupid.”Written for the Jonrya Halloween Exchange on Tumblr.





	Keep Moving Forward

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Aryas_aria](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Aryas_aria/gifts).



> Happy Halloween, [redrumkhaleesi](https://redrumkhaleesi.tumblr.com)! I hope you enjoy it!

“Are you scared?” Jon whispered in her ear.

“No,” Arya said vehemently, leaning back against his chest. She played with his fingers where they were laced over her stomach. Against the pitch black sky, Arya could see the blinding white-blue facade of the haunted maze looming over them. The hollow feeling in her belly grew more persistent with every movement forward of the line. Her brow furrowed. “Maybe a little, are you?”

“You know me,” she felt Jon puff up his chest behind her, “big strong man and all.”

Arya rolled her eyes.

“Just remember the two most important rules for a haunted house, or maze,” Jon corrected himself before Arya could, “and you’ll be fine.” Arya took Jon’s right hand in her left and turned to face him, her arms going around his waist and his around hers on instinct.

“And those are?”

“Keep moving forward,” Jon nodded to the space behind her back. She turned her head and saw that the line had progressed without her.

“Haw-haw.” Eyes flashing, Arya wound her arms around Jon’s neck and stepped onto his feet so he was supporting all her weight. He laughed in response, walking them forward with careful little steps. “What else?”

Jon covered her hands with his and laced their fingers together, bringing them from around his neck to between the two of them. He pressed a kiss to her knuckles.

“Keep these deadly weapons to yourself.” Jon gave her hands a wiggle. He took a few steps forward again, Arya still standing on his feet.

“I’m not going to punch a fourteen year old dressed up as a zombie.”

“You’ve punched me when I’ve startled you!” He said indignantly.

“That’s because you’re stupid, stupid.” Jon extended his arms so Arya was leaning backwards at a 45 degree angle.

“You should be nice to me, or I might drop you.”

“You won’t,” Arya challenged, quirking an eyebrow. She and Jon looked at each other hard for a moment and then he sighed.

“Alright, I won’t,” he said, pulling her back into the circle of his arms. They inched forward. “If you’re really scared, it’s not too late to just go get a funnel cake and ride a couple of coasters.”

“We’ve been in this line for twenty minutes, either I’m getting the shit scared out of me or I’m suing.”

“Who are you going to sue?”

“You, Wintertown, the Karstarks for running this place at a snail’s pace. You’ll be a witness, right?”

“You want me to be a witness…when you sue me?” Arya nodded. “Yeah, I guess.”

An unfamiliar voice coming from right behind her startled Arya. She stumbled off Jon’s feet, spinning around to face the voice. It was a bored looking teenage girl in a black polo with the white star logo of the Karstarks embroidered on it.

“How many in your party?” They repeated. Arya opened her mouth to respond, but all that came out was a squeak.

“Two,” Jon said from over her shoulder. He took her hand again.

“The two of you are the last hope of humanity against the Wights,” the girl intoned. Arya cast a glance over her shoulder. There were at least a hundred people in line behind them. “Your mission is to travel beyond the Wall and defeat their leader, the Night King. If you make it out the other side alive, you will know humanity is saved.”

She unclipped the rope that sectioned off the front of the line from the entrance to the maze, motioning for them to step forward. Jon took a step forward so his chest brushed against her back again. Emboldened by the feeling of Jon behind her, Arya stepped forward, too.

“May the Gods watch over you.” The worker closed the rope behind them and began to give the same spiel to the next group.

“You go first,” Arya said, worrying her bottom lip. Jon, who looked torn between being concerned and amused, nodded and went to stand in front of her.

“You ready?” She took his hand despite the fact that she was practically plastered against his back. “Remember, heart, I’ve got you.”

“I’ve got you, too,” Arya said quietly, squeezing his hand. Together they took their first steps into the maze and were confronted with their first choice. “Left.”

“Backseat driver.” They went left and came to another fork. “What do you think? Left or right this time?”

“You choose,” Arya said. She felt like the hairs on the back of her neck were all standing on end. Any minute someone was going to jump out at her and give her a heart attack.

“Okay, right then.”

“Contrarian.” They made right and found themselves in a room decorated to look like a dark forest. Arya marveled at the attention to detail in the trees, there was even a massive Weirwood in the center of it. Something about that brought her comfort, though she knew it was only papier-mache and red paint, not the ancient sturdy wood of the real thing.

Nothing in this forest could frighten her.

“What now?” They took turns navigating their way through the trees and before long, found themselves in a blindingly white room. Though she couldn’t see it, Arya could feel flakes of artificial snow hitting her face as hundreds of fans blew them around in freezing cold air.

Arya blinked, trying to get her eyes to adjust to the light. More and more of her surroundings came into focus as she did. The room was lined in mirrors, like a funhouse, and somewhere in the room was a horde of blue-hued emaciated men, coming towards them. Wights.

Arya couldn’t fight the scream that bubbled up in her throat. She scrambled up Jon’s back, pressing her face into his neck and squeezed her eyes tightly closed.

“Get us out of here.” From her perch, she could feel Jon weaving around things, stopping occasionally for less than a second here and there. Whenever he stopped, there were high pitched screams that Arya assumed accompanied the Wights as they jumped out at them.

She didn’t know if being able to hear the zombies, but not see them made it better or worse, but she knew even if she opened them, it would take her eyes another few minutes to readjust to the light.

Finally, Arya could no longer feel the light beating against her eyelids and Jon slowed from a brisk walk to a more normal pace.

“You’re safe, heart.” Arya opened her eyes and saw that Jon was telling the truth, not that she had doubted him. They were back outside, and somehow the cover of darkness made her feel better. She slid down off his back, stumbling a little as she gathered her bearings.

Jon turned, cupping her elbow to make sure she didn’t fall.

“Are you okay?”

Arya nodded, embarrassed.

“Can we go get a funnel cake now?” Jon smiled, cradling her face in his palms. He leaned down and kissed her. Pulling back for just a second, he kissed her again, burying his fingers in her hair. Arya felt his fingertips pressing against her scalp as insistently as his lips pressed against her own. “I maintain that if there really is a zombie apocalypse, you’re the damsel in distress and I’m the rugged protector.”

“Definitely.” Jon slung his arm over her shoulders as they went in pursuit of a snack stand.

**Author's Note:**

> And Happy Halloween to everyone else!


End file.
